Bouquet
by penna.nomen
Summary: Tag to S1E10: Chidi's Choice. Eleanor made two guesses in the episode about who was her soulmate. Third time's the charm! Eleanor/Tahani. Humor & Fluff.


_A/N: Inspired by an AO3 Chocolate Box challenge prompt that fit perfectly as a tag for Season 1, episode 10: Chidi's Choice. The episode reminded me of a Shakespearian comedy where everyone's falling in love with the wrong person._

In the middle of the reception, Janet announced it was "time to throw the wedding bouquet to the unattached women in attendance," and immediately lobbed the flowers in the direction of Eleanor and Tahani.

And _of course_ it went precisely between Eleanor and Tahani, because it was Janet doing the throwing and precise was kind of her thing.

And _of course_ Tahani grabbed it, because she was Ms. Overachiever.

And _of course_ Eleanor grabbed it, because her instinct was still to look out for Number One.

And _of course_ Tahani let go of it and said, "Oh, you take it," because she was the nice one.

And _of course_ Eleanor let go of it and said, "No, you take it," because two men she'd thought she'd been in love with earlier today were watching and she still wanted impress them just in case she'd been wrong when she'd decided they weren't her soulmates.

And _of course_ when the bouquet started falling to the ground, the other Eleanor rescued it and said she'd put it in a vase. And the awkward moment was over if only Eleanor could keep her mouth shut, but _of course_ she had to make a joke and say, "Well, we're the only ones left without a soulmate. I guess it's you and me now."

And _of course_ Tahani had to smile sweetly and say, "I'm sure you'd be a delightful soulmate."

And _of course_ Eleanor couldn't shut up. She heard herself saying, "You, too. I mean, when Michael first showed us the neighborhood, I saw your mansion and thought, _Fork, yeah_. You can't imagine what a letdown the clown cottage was after seeing your place."

"You really like it?" Tahani asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Well maybe she'd prefer a little less of the you-break-it-you-buy-it vibe, but it was a forking _mansion_. Eleanor could honestly say, "Of all the houses I've been inside since I got here, yours is hands down my favorite." She waved vaguely in the direction the other Eleanor had gone and said, "No offense to Releanor…" She paused at Tahini's bewildered expression. "I got tired of saying _Real Eleanor_. Like, I'm not real?"

"Oh, you poor thing!" Tahani said, reaching in for a quick hug. "Why didn't you tell us we were trampling on your feelings? How can I make it up to you?"

She looked so dismayed that Eleanor said the first thing that came to mind. "Help me move out of the clown cottage? It's Releanor's dream house, not mine, and I don't want to get in the way of her and Chidi. That would be too weird."

"Oh, my dear, dear Eleanor!" Tahani did love going all dramatic, and she pulled it off well. "You're homeless!" At this point Releanor tried to speak up, but Tahani shushed her. "Not to worry. I know exactly what we need to do. You'll move in with me!"

"You sure?" Eleanor asked. She really, really wanted to move into the mansion, but she'd also liked becoming Tahani's friend and she knew from experience that there was nothing like being an unwelcome roommate to kill a friendship.

"Absolutely! I dread rattling around alone in my mansion. What could be better than having someone with me? It'll be utterly delicious!"

Eleanor nodded. Tahani needed someone to help her lighten up a little. A few lessons in being less dramatic would be a good start.

"We'll be the perfect complement to one another," Tahani said.

"You want compliments?" Eleanor shrugged. "No problem. Your hair is fantastic, and –"

Tahani laughed. Or trilled. If ever someone other than a Disney princess trilled, it was Tahani. "No, not that type of complement. I mean we complete each other. Yin and yang. We'll be good for one another. There's so much I can teach you, and vice versa, I'm sure. As they say, opposites attract."

Eleanor nodded. Everyone knew opposites attract. She hadn't thought about that applying to roommates, but why not?

She'd had an awesome time hanging out with Tahani today. Even when they'd both thought they were in love with Chidi, they hadn't tried to hurt each other. That's how amazing Tahani was - they could be rivals for the same guy and still be friends. Being with Tahani was so great that Eleanor hadn't really been upset after deciding Jason was her soulmate and then immediately learning he was going to marry Janet. Normally something like that totally sucked, but not today. It's like Tahani had some kind of magical ability to make even the worst things seem okay. Tahani was…

 _Oh._

For the third time today, Eleanor was certain she knew who her soulmate was. It was so obvious.

And _of course_ it was Tahani. Duh. Janet knew what she was doing when she threw that bouquet.

 _A/N: Thanks to Silbrith for beta services above and beyond the call of duty. Any remaining typos are my own fault._

 _Thanks everyone for reading!_


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